Mr Paul Shattock (OBE)

Research Interests:

Mr Paul Shattock, a pharmacist and parent of an autistic son, was Honorary Director of the Autism Research Unit (ARU), University of Sunderland, UK now called ESPA Research.  He is Chairman of ESPA (Education and Services for People with Autism) which provides teaching and residential services for young adults with autism and President-Elect of the World Autism Organisation (WAO) having previously been secretary for Autisme-Europe. His research interests include rights and models of service provision for people with autism, biomedical and environmental factors implicated in autism, and the use and abuse of medication for autism.

The research undertaken by Mr Shattock at the ARU / ESPA Research investigates the theory that autism is a consequence of a metabolic disorder, whereby certain biologically active peptides and other related compounds (derived mainly but not exclusively from dietary gluten and/or casein) are not metabolised correctly, and along with Kalle Reichelt led to the widespread use of the Gluten-free, casein-free diet in treating autism.

Mr Shattock has published in peer-refereed journals, such as Autism, the Journal of Child Neurology, Biomedical Chromatography and the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

In 1998 Mr Shattock was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his more than 30 years of services to the autism community.

External links:

ESPA Research:

To find out more about ESPA, please visit their website here ESPA Research.

Who they are:
ESPA Research staff include: Mr Kevin Carr, Ms Lynda Todd & Dr Paul Whiteley. Mr Karl Hardy based at ESPA is their company secretary. Prof. Malcolm Hooper is their advisor in his role as Emeritus Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. Mr Paul Shattock OBE is Chariman of ESPA. Each of their associates brings different skills to their work at ESPA Research focused in areas of psychology, chemistry and healthcare.

What they do:
The work at ESPA Research builds upon that started at the Autism Research Unit for public benefit. Their aim is improve the quality of life for people with autism spectrum conditions through high-quality publishable research and the provision of analytical services. Their work focuses on several key areas examining the effectiveness of a gluten and/or casein-free diet for people with autism spectrum conditions alongside the discovery of biological entities that may provide insight into any underlying metabolic conditions.

Where they are based:
ESPA Research headquarters are based in Sunderland in North East England. Their laboratory is situated at the Business & Innovation Centre (BIC) in Sunderland, occupying the Robert Luff Laboratory. The BIC is at the centre of the biotechnology and digital industries in Sunderland. The investigations and services provided by ESPA Research extend across the UK and rest of the World.

Contact details:

These are freely available on their website.

ESPA Research
The Robert Luff Laboratory
Unit 133i
North East Business & Innovation Centre (BIC)
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Wearfield, Sunderland SR5 2TA
United Kingdom

Telephone from the UK:
0191 549 9300
Telephone from outside the UK:
00 44 191 549 9300

Email: info@espa-research.org.uk